The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing shared web-based interaction and, more particularly, to providing shared web-based interaction involving dynamically generated or stateful content.
A browser is a software program run on a computer that allows a computer user to request, view, manipulate and/or send information across a computer network. For example, a web-based browser serves as a user""s front-end interface to the World Wide Web (WWW) on the Internet. As is known, using a web-based browser, a user types in or selects the address or URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a website to request a webpage (e.g., homepage) associated with the website that he wishes to visit. The browser transmits the request over the Internet to the Web server with which the website is associated and the server downloads the homepage to the browser for viewing by the user. The homepage is typically an index to other pages on that website that can be accessed by clicking on icons which represent the addresses of the other pages.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,796, issued Nov. 23, 1999 and entitled: xe2x80x9cTechnique For Obtaining And Exchanging Information On World Wide Web,xe2x80x9d which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,330, issued Jan. 19, 1999 with the same title, a technique is disclosed for shared Internet browsing among multiple users (e.g., clients) using unmodified browsers and servers. The technique employs client-side executable content that is dynamically downloaded into the browser, such as an applet. An applet is a limited-function, utility program. The applet at one endpoint communicates with an applet of a collaborator (e.g., another browser) via some communication channel, and allows the xe2x80x9cconnectedxe2x80x9d browsers to move from webpage to webpage in synchrony, viewing the same (or related) content. One way of achieving this interaction is to have all connected browsers submit the same URL. However, in the case of dynamically generated content, this causes the Web server to execute the same request multiple times, once for each participating browser (i.e., as many times as the same request was respectively made by the multiple users). This may not be desirable, particularly, when a URL submission causes an order to be placed on the Web server. That is, multiple executions of the request will cause multiple orders to be placed on the Web server. This may not be what the multiple users intended in participating in the shared browsing session. That is, the intent may have been only to place a single, joint order at the end of the shared browsing session.
For example, various e-commerce websites accessible via specific Web servers allow users to select items they wish to order and place them in a virtual xe2x80x9cshopping cart.xe2x80x9d When the user completes his selections, he then clicks on a xe2x80x9cPlace Orderxe2x80x9d icon resulting in a URL request being submitted to the e-commerce server for placement of the order. However, if multiple users are interactively browsing in order to place one joint order, as described above, then when one user clicks on the xe2x80x9cPlace Orderxe2x80x9d icon, each browser submits an identical URL request. This has the undesirable effect of placing as many orders for the same items as there are connected browsers.
Proxy servers have been proposed for improving access to data on the Internet. A proxy server is a facility used by a client (i.e., like a browser) which receives a request for a particular URL from a client (e.g., a Web browser) and forwards the request (on behalf of the client, as its proxy) to the appropriate Web server. The proxy server receives the response and transmits the response to the requesting client. A firewall proxy, for example, accepts requests from a client inside the firewall for data provided by servers outside the firewall, and retrieves the data. A caching proxy server additionally saves the obtained response, and provides the response to any other client that autonomously makes the same request, subject to certain rules which govern how long data will be held in the cache, and when it will be refreshed.
However, caching proxy servers do not cache responses that are dynamically generated, e.g., output of CGI (Common Gate Interface) requests, Active Server Pages, etc. For example, a financial information website accessible via a particular Web server may have a feature that allows a user to request and receive a price quote on a particular stock. For instance, clicking on a xe2x80x9cGet Quotexe2x80x9d icon will result in a URL request being submitted to the Web server. The Web server may then have to search for the latest stock quote or, itself, request and retrieve the latest stock price from another source. Assuming the user sets up a caching proxy server, a price quote requested by a user in the morning will be retrieved and cached in the caching proxy server. However, if the user clicks on the xe2x80x9cGet Quotexe2x80x9d icon in the afternoon, the caching proxy server still only has the morning price quote stored, which is likely no longer accurate. Since the caching proxy server does not dynamically update the information, a new request must be placed to the website.
Further, proxy servers require changes in the client-side browser configuration. That is, the user must manually modify the browser settings to direct all URL requests to the proxy server, which then makes the request. Still further, attempting to use a proxy server in conjunction with shared browsing does not work in the presence of a firewall. That is, the browser can only use one proxy at a time, whereas two are needed, i.e., one to get outside the firewall, and the other one to support the shared interaction.
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for permitting interactive browsing over a computer network such that multiple users (e.g., clients) are provided with dynamically generated content (i.e., data that is subject to state changes) retrieved from an information source in the network when needed. The disclosed techniques do not require any client-side modifications and operate transparently even in the presence of a firewall.
Advantageously, the present invention provides these and other inventive features by employing an intermediary network element, referred to as a gateway, situated between user devices and information sources in a computer network. The gateway enables a method of interactively sharing information between at least two devices in the computer network, each device having a respective browser associated therewith for handling the information. The method includes retrieving information from an information source in the network in response to receipt of a request, from a first browser associated with a first device, to retrieve the information. The retrieved information is stored in association with the request received from the first browser. Preferably, this is accomplished via a cache memory associated with the gateway. The method also includes sending the stored information to at least a second browser of at least a second device in response to receipt of a similar request therefrom such that the devices can share the information retrieved from the information source in response to the single request. It is to be appreciated that the second browser receives the request from the first browser so that it can make the similar request to the gateway. In this manner, the original request from the first browser is executed by the information source only once, but shared by multiple user devices. The gateway may be implemented at a server in the network, at any of the user devices, or even at the information source.
In another embodiment of the invention, surrogate applets are preferably dynamically downloaded from the computer network to at least some of the browsers of the devices participating in the interactive browsing session. The surrogate applets are executable code that serve as interfaces between the browsers, as well as translators of browser requests. The requests are translated or modified by the surrogates so that they can be directed to the gateway by the respective browsers.